My project is for Stephanie. Her memoir tracked her relationship with someone named Max through a chess game played on a mountain. So, for my project, I am making a hollow mountain out of clay. There will be three peaks- a large one in the middle with two little ones on either side. The two smaller peaks will have flat tops so that a chess piece can fit into them, because she mentions that her relationship with Max was one that “just fit and clicked”. The chess pieces symbolize Stephanie and Max. Her memoir discussed how they mirrored each other, and how the chess game mirrored their relationship, so I am making the two peaks mirror each other; but, the chess pieces will be different. Stephanie likes the rookie piece the best, while Max likes the knight (they each consider those to be the most practical for winning the game), so those will be their respective pieces that represent them. In her memoir, Stephanie mentions that she grew to value honesty immensely throughout the relationship because Max was so honest, which in turn made him kind. So, the middle peak, which brings the two little ones together, will have a plant called Lunaria Annua (nicknamed honesty) growing out of it, symbolizing the honesty that made their relationship what it was. I am using clay to build the structure because it is easily manipulated and will allow me to show details in my piece and make it hollow. It is also able to painted over, which is essential for my piece because I need to show color since color is the first thing Stephanie notices about something.
